Spartan football opens with win over Richfield

The Emery High Spartan football team opened the 2011 football season with a win. Last Friday night, Emery easily defeated Richfield 27-0 as the Spartans controlled both sides of the ball and won the game against the favored Wildcats.

Emery had 375 yards of total offense while holding Richfield to a total of 66 yards of offense in the game. Out of the 375 yards of offense for Emery, 271 if those yards came on the ground and 104 yards came through the air.

Emery received the opening kickoff at their own 20-yard line and consumed nearly seven minutes of the opening quarter marching down the field until the drive stalled at the Wildcat 30 yard line. Emery ran 14 plays in the drive. The two teams battled to a 0-0 tie after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Emery scored on a 26-yard pass from quarterback Spencer Labrum to receiver David Dyer to culminate an 81-yard drive. This drive was 13 plays long. Emery's Jesse Winn had scored earlier on about a 50-yard run only to have it called back because of an Emery penalty. Cory Cox kicked the extra point and Emery led at the half 7-0.

In the third quarter, Richfield received the kickoff and punted after four plays. Emery scored quickly as Labrum again hit Dyer and Dyer scored on a 50-yard play. Extra point was no good and Emery led 13-0.

Emery scored again the next time they had the ball. Dyer, from his receiver position, ran the ball on a reverse, picked up 38 yards and Emery would score on a 10-yard run by halfback Nathan Thompson. Extra point was good and Emery led 20-0 after the third quarter.

Emery's Dominic Rondinelli had a 41-yard run in the fourth quarter for the final touchdown and after Cox's extra point kick was good, Emery led 27-0.

The Emery rushing game was led by Rondinelli with 99 yards on 14 carries. Rondinelli is a sophomore running back. Junior Cory Cox, from the fullback position, ran the ball 11 times and picked up 54 yards. Thompson ran the ball eight times and picked up 50 yards and Jesse Winn ran the ball nine times and picked up 28 yards. Winn did have one long run called back.

Labrum attempted eight passes in the game and completed six of those passes. Dyer caught three for a total of 94 yards and two touchdowns. Cory Cox caught two for four yards and Winn caught the other for six yards.

The Emery defense was led by their four linebackers as is expected. Defensive lineman do the dirty work up front and get rid of blockers while the linebackers get to clean up with tackles. Emery's two inside backers of Geren Payne and Brett Sorenson each recorded eight tackles in the game. Emery's two outside backers of Winn and Dyer each had five tackles in the game. Sophomore cornerback Bailey Faimalo recorded the games only interception and Faimalo also recovered a Wildcat fumble.

Emery will play their final preseason game this Friday at home against Uintah. Uintah lost last weekend 37-0 to Stansbury.

The 2-A North region, of which Emery is a member, went 7-1 in the opening weekend of football play. In games of note, Manti defeated Delta at Delta 28-14 and Millard defeated North Sanpete 44-13.

North Summit, South Summit, Gunnison and American Leadership also won while North Sevier had the only loss in a game against Kanab.